Transcript Mobile Tools

Mobile tools
These are a set of tools for mobile phones
that Cell-Life has developed.
Contact:
Peter Benjamin
[email protected]
082 829 3353
021 469 1111
Broadcast SMS
What is it?Organisation sends out an SMS to a list of known numbers (10 or 1,000). Can be
scheduled (e.g. send at 9.00am on Monday)
Positives: Everyone can use it; no fancy phone needed.
Negatives: 160 character limit/SMS; person has to get keyword exactly right
Cost:
Free to user, cost of about 23c to organisation sending.
Handset: Any & all
Uses:
Any short message, notice or update.
Interactive SMS
What is it?Person SMSs a keyword and gets information back through another SMS
Positives: Everyone can use it; no fancy phone needed.
Negatives: 160 character limit/SMS; person has to get keyword exactly right
Cost:
Could be made free to user on Vodacom (more tricky on other networks);
implementer pays 25c / SMS
Handset: Any & all
Uses:
SMS to find date, time & venue of next meeting; where the nearest ‘facility’ is
“Please Call Me” messages
What is it?A user send a message as a ‘Please Call Me’ to signal. This is done on Vodacom by
typing *140*number# or on MTN *121*number#
Positives: Everyone can use it; no fancy phone needed.
Negatives: No real content can be entered in the message
Cost:
Free
Handset: Any & all
Uses:
Can be used to signal for various things – joining a subscription list, finding local
service etc. Can trigger a response (e.g. SMS sent back)
Location Based Services (LBS)
What is it?The network knows where the cellphone is, can be used to find local services. Can
be used in different ways – from SMS, USSD, GPS, services like the Grid
Positives: Everyone can use it; no fancy phone needed.
Negatives: Privacy issues. Usually requires 2-stage communications with user confirming they
want to give their position.
Cost:
Various depends on service provider. Can be around 30c
Handset: Any & all (with SMS or USSD)
Uses:
Find where the nearest ‘facility’ is (e.g. health clinic, support centre or local event)
Text menus (USSD)
What is it? Basic text menus; can make selections of menus for different pages
Positives: Everyone can use it; no fancy phone needed.
Negatives: 150 character limit/screen; bit tricky to use (three key-presses for each selection)
2-min session timeout then content disappears – a USSD selection can trigger an
SMS being sent to the user
Cost:
1 cent / second (through trying to negotiate free services)
Handset: Any & all
Examples: *111# (Vodacom customers); *120*555# (Look for it service);
*120*8221# (Eng only, 822 = TAC); *120*78573# (78573 = PULSE)
Uses:
Access limited information (e.g. contact details); select one of many choices (then
sent an SMS of the info), or enter a few questions - try *120*57573#
MXit
What is it?Massively popular system for ‘instant messaging’ text-chat & information ‘portals’.
Users must download software onto your phone that allows you to text-chat.
Positives: It’s very cheap; 12.5 million South Africans use it (quarter of the population!)
Negatives: Not everyone uses MXit; old/basic phones can’t use it; unlikely to reach older people;
some association with pornography and abuse
Cost:
Less than 1c per text chat or screen of info. Free to download the software.
Handset: Java-enabled phone (most cellphones costing R400 or more)
Examples: Go to Tradepost > MXit Mix > My Culture > Red
to see Cell-Life’s HIV info.
WAP (internet via cellphone)
What is it?Browsing the Web on a cellphone
Positives: It’s pretty cheap; no character restrictions. Can to graphics, colours etc (not just text)
Negatives: There’s a perception that it’s expensive. About 60% of phones in SA can use it (but
most people with WAP phones don’t know how to use it).
Cost:
R2 / MegaByte (that’s about 1 - 2 cents / page)
Handset: Must be WAP-enabled
Examples: wapedia.mobi/en/ ; http://dev.cell-life.org/wap/sexual-health;
http://dev.cell-life.org/wap/social_grants
Cell book
What is it?Book that downloads via WAP to your cellphone (can be long e.g. 100 pages of A4)
Positives: It’s pretty cheap; no character restrictions
Negatives: Need to have WAP, so about 60% of phones in SA can use it. Unfamiliar tech. Can
be hard to find the ‘book’ once it has been downloaded to the phone.
Cost:
About R1 once-off (free to read it after that – it is on your phone)
Handset: Must be WAP and Java enabled
Examples: Metropolitan “B the Future HIV-AIDS CellBook” (SMS the word HIV to 32907)
Cellphone data capture (EMIT)
What is it? Little programme to downloaded to cellphone to allow entering of structured information (e.g.
survey, questionnaire, feedback for etc). Once form is entered, then GPRS to upload data.
Positives: Easy & fast entry of data, no retyping or movement of paper.
Negatives: Needs better cellphone and some training.
Cost:
About 2c to upload a form (depending on size). Free to download the software.
Handset: Java-enabled phone (most cellphones costing R400 or more)
Messaging via cellphone: options
Channel
What is it?
Text menus Basic text menus +
(USSD)
info. can make
selections of menus for
different pages
+ve
-ve
Cost
Handset
Everyone can use
it. No fancy phone
needed. Could be
made free
150 characters /
1 cent / second Any
screen; 2-min session
then content
disappears (though
can SMS at end)
MXit
Massively popular
Very cheap
system for ‘instant
12.5 million South
messaging’ text-chat & Africans use it.
information ‘portals’.
Users must download
software onto their
phone that allows
users to text-chat.
Old & cheap phones Less than 1c
Java-enabled
can’t use it; unlikely to per text chat or phone.
reach older people;
screen of info
some association with
pornography and
abuse
WAP
Browsing the Web on a Pretty cheap. No
cellphone
size restrictions.
Colours, graphics
etc
Perception that it’s
expensive. About
60% of phones in SA
can use it
R 2 / MegaByte Must be WAPenabled
(about 1 - 2
cents / page)
Interactive
SMS
Person SMSs a
keyword and gets
information back
Everyone can use
it
No fancy phone
needed
160 character
limit/SMS; person has
to get keyword
exactly right
Could be free
Any
to user;
implementer
pays 25c / SMS
Cellbook
Book that downloads
via WAP to your
cellphone
Pretty cheap
No character
restrictions
Need to have WAP,
(about 60% of phones
in SA). Unfamiliar
tech. Can be hard to
find once on phone.
About R 2
once-off (free
to read it after
that as its on
your phone)
Must be WAPand Javaenabled
Other technologies
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SMS relay / twitter. e.g. Flashmobs
Video streaming
Video recording  web
Bblogging, Vlogging
Integrated Voice Response
Voicemail push
Games